Once apon a Pirate Ship
by Tintalle
Summary: Cassandra wants to sail more then anything and believes anything can happen if you just have faith. But what happens when her dreams are ripped apart?...What direction can she turn to next? Please read and review!


Disclaimer - Okay well just to say I don't own any of the Characters from Pirates of the Caribbean. Even though none are mentioned in this first chapter, I do intend to use one or two from the film in the not to distant future. Thanks.  
  
This isn't my first fanfic, but it is my first in this category so be nice, pwease! Hope you enjoy.  
  
Chapter 1: Say Night-Night  
  
As she sat and watched the pale blue sky set in the east, Cassandra leant her head back against the dwarf stonewall that ran across the edges of the pasture fields behind her. Ahead of her the sky was turning into a deep shade of pink and golden yellow as the sun waved goodbye like the gentle smear of watered down ink on a piece of paper. Cassandra always visited the fort at the top of the bay every evening. She loved to watch the sun go down over the harbour as the boats moored, and the fading sun would shine beans of light through their sails.  
  
After having dazed for quite a while, Cassandra leant forward slowly and blinked a few times. She flicked her soft brown hair away from her shoulders and reached for her bag, which had been lying, by her side. It was only a small simple bag which she had received one birthday a few years back, but still she held onto it, after all her family wasn't what the local folk would call well-off. Cassandra's small family had hardly any money, even in the fairly generous society of which they lived still meant that Cassandra also had to work long hours to keep up the family income. She had only just finished schooling before she had to go out and seek a job at a local inn only five minutes from her small town house home in Oxbay. Oxbay was the main town and port on the island where they lived, only a few scattered villages lingered in the woodland across the other side of the island, but they all belonged to the smugglers.  
  
Wrapping a badly worn coat around her, Cassandra shouldered her bag and sighed taking one last glance across the horizon before she turned and made her way along side the old stonewall. These walls coincidently lead all the way back down the hillside and also to the street not to far away from where she lived. As she strolled, her shoes were pressing lightly into the delicately dewed grass beneath her. Oxbay was quite a sight from up by the old fort. It only seemed like a small village that had been naturally set into the sides of the hills that surrounded it on all three sides. Of course the fourth side lead out onto open sea, into the mysterious world of sailing and pirates and treasure.  
  
That mysteriousness had lead her mind wondering though. Although being a girl, she did love boats or of course 'ships' as many sailors preferred, and hoped some day she would be able to sail across to many of the other islands across the Caribbean. However this dream did seem pretty distant to her considering her position. She was only the age of 17, and yet she had already had so many ambitions in life. Her Parents thought it was wonderful but yet in their sadness they had to tell her that it was truly impossible for such things to happen.  
  
The faint flickers of the candle street lights could now be seen across one last field which was left to the local children to play in during the sunny hours of the day. Cassandra remembered life when she was young and smiled faintly whilst tilting her head towards the bay once more. The sun was almost fully set and the ships by the harbour looked almost ghostly, with there mast and hull a shadowy matted dark shade of grey only the ivy coloured sails reflected any light through the creeping darkness.  
  
At least she had reached the light of the streets; all was fairly quiet around her except for the faint laughter and chinking of beer glasses from the nearby tavern. All the lads and also older folk went to the tavern at night, amongst the various sailors and privateers that had moored for the night wishing to stay till morning. Cassandra frowned and glanced left, this was the route she always took back home and as her feet pattered on the pebble road she tapped lightly on the dark old wooden door of her house. She waited in the growing cold; her breath was starting to form small clouds, which disappeared in front of her. Rolling her eyes, Cassandra banged on the door, which did create a bit more noise than before. At last some mumbling came through from the door and it creaked open quickly as Cassandra rubbed her hands together in a pleading manor.  
  
A fairly average height lady with quite a slim structure greeted her, perhaps slightly too skinny at the hips but no one could complain. They had a limit to the amount of money they could spend on food anyway so the whole family was a little of the slim side. The fire was crackling in the centre of the small yet cosy living room where the lady, Cassandra's mother, glided across and through a doorway at the back of the room.  
  
"There's no need to bang on the door Cassandra, you know how easily you can wake your father," A soft and caring yet somehow saddened voice came through to the living room. Cassandra rolled her eyes slightly and brushed her hazel hair back and slumped back onto a seat. Not the most comfortable of chairs as it was mainly made of oak wood with a few spare cushions.  
  
"Sorry Mother, but it is bloody freezing out there," Cassandra replied with a concerned glance at her hands, which had gone numb.  
  
"Cassandra Marie Bell! Mind your language," Her mother peered in from what appeared to be the kitchen with a watchful glint in her eye. After a few moments she saw the look of innocence in Cassandra and sighed heavily waving her hand near her forehead with out thinking. "Oh I understand. Its just your little terror of a brother has kept me busy for most of the evening again. I never seem to find any time for house chores now." She pouted slightly then realised how odd it must have looked and quickly popped back behind the door.  
  
Cassandra was left to drift into her thoughts again. She always did, it was a bit of a habit really. She was a very independent young lady and always had a spark of determination in her; after all she did believe that someday things would go well for the family whilst her parents of course shook their heads gravely.  
  
"Oh, could I borrow your help for a bit darling?" Her mother sounded from the kitchen, and suddenly the clashing of a plate onto another. Cassandra winced a little and got up quickly, leaving the glowing living room for the kitchen.  
  
"Gosh, it's a it cold in here! Was the fire put out?" Cassandra frowned as she stepped through the door way and quickly shuffled towards her mother who handed her a dish cloth to help dry up the wet plates and forks. Her mother said nothing for a while and just made a sort of humming noise in reply.  
  
"The fire was never lit. We could only bring home enough wood for the fireplaces upstairs and the living room," At this she gave Cassandra a meaningful look. "You really must stop your late night wanderings. He sun set doesn't need you, but we do."  
  
"Oh not again Mother. You know I always go for a walk in the evening, and I'm not just looking at the sunset."  
  
"And don't I know it!" Cassandra's mother clashed another plate onto the cupboard, which almost made her jump. "You've been obsessed with those boats since you were little."  
  
"-There ships. And anyway what's so bad about that? I can have my interests," Cassandra replied back politely, she didn't want to upset her mother again. She knew how concerned her mother was most of the time.  
  
"I'm not saying you can't Cassandra, its just-" Her mother was cut short by another voice. Not Cassandra's, she preferred not to interrupt others especially since her mother did seem rather aggravated. Instead it was a fairly deep low pitch voice belonging to the figure that had just made a stand in the doorway to the kitchen.  
  
"What on earth is all the noise about?" Cassandra's father asked them both in a tiresome manor; this was defiantly visible in the way his eyes were squinting in the candlelight.  
  
"Oh Nigel sorry! We didn't mean to wake you." She looked at him pitifully and touched his arm slightly. Her mother did seem a tad too affectionate and worried about him. Ever since he had the most terrible accident at work one day at the Blacksmiths, were he burnt most the skin on his right arm. It was pretty horrific, and it was advised that he was to rest his arm as much as possible, or in her father case - sleep whenever he isn't working. Cassandra knew this and felt slightly guilty; she knew how hard her Father had worked to keep the family up on its feet. Her Father nodded to them both and asked, "Not discussing you-know-what again, Cassandra? Your late night wanders?"  
  
"There not late night Father, I am always back by nightfall at the latest. And it is still early spring so the nights come earlier," Cassandra replied back, finishing her last dish.  
  
"Alright, but you still go out. Your Mother and I need you at home now, to help with your brother and the fires in the evening, we have already told you about this and you did say you'd try."  
  
"Yes, yes I know," Cassandra frowned and glanced to the floor. As much as she wanted to please her parents, as she knew how much they needed her help she still couldn't bare the thought of missing her evenings walks. No golden sunsets, no fresh sea breezes in her wind swept hair, and no watching the ships sailing in and out of the port. To some it seemed like a waste of time, but to Cassandra it was more like a hobby. "I'll try, I really will. Its just-"  
  
"Just what dear?" Her Mother looked at her warmly.  
  
"I still believe - that, some good will come to the family. And I think the only way it's going to happen is if you believe it too."  
  
"Come now Cassandra, don't be silly and fill your head in childish dreams!" Her Father replied back forcefully, but the warm glow he always had in his eyes was still there to show he cared.  
  
Cassandra hadn't noticed this though and sighed heavily, "Its not childish! When I'm alone, the more I think about how we can change our loves."  
  
"And how do you propose we did that?"  
  
Cassandra took a few more breaths clearly thinking about what she was about to say, "I could join a crew!"  
  
"A what!?" Her Mother gave her the most miraculous face she had.  
  
"A crew! On a ship - if I join a merchant ship, who knows how much money I could bring home for the family."  
  
"That is the most outrageous idea I have ever heard Cassandra! You are a girl, and you have no experience! No one would ever let you on board!"  
  
Her Mother now decided to join in, in the same tone as her Father had done but with a slight hint of humour, "We'd be better off sending your father out to sea, with only one properly working arm!"  
  
Cassandra did not find that at all amusing, this was a very sensitive area for her. Anything to with her dreams and her faith seemed to make her emotional and that very fact that once again they refused to tolerate her ideas was too much. She rubbed her forehead quickly and slapped the dishcloth onto the kitchen table and ran out of the kitchen towards the stairs in the living room.  
  
"Cassandra, you can't ignore us all your life! You have to except that things can't change, some things have to be how they are!" Her Father called to her. Both her parents glanced around like they now had nothing to do and sighed also.  
  
Cassandra now walked up the staircase, treading her feet into the wooden floorboards with her anger. 'How could they not understand? Why did they always knock down her ideas!?' These thoughts were flashing in her mind and at the same time she tried not to let a tear roll down her check. She had to be strong, to prove to them that she could make a difference.  
  
As she passed her brother's room across the upstairs landing she shook her head. She started to sob quietly and her hand trembled as such a soft sweet voice filled her head, "Cassie say night-night." 


End file.
